IncTechnology.com > Gizmos & Gadgets

Business Card Redux: Digital Apps

Michelle V. Rafter — 2009-05-27T16:15:21-05:00

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, the old-fashioned business card lives on. But there’s nothing out-dated about the next-generation of business cards, most of which are smart phone or Web applications or hardware-software combos that people can use to swap contact information and social network profiles.

Here’s a look at some of the newest:

Poken

It looks like a toy, but the miniature character with the oversized hand hides a USB drive that stores a name, address, phone number, social networking accounts and other traditional business card information in an encrypted personal ID number. Meet another Poken user and swap information by pressing the infrared sensors embedded in the hands together to give each other a “high four.” Plug the USB drive into a computer and it brings up a Web browser and downloads any new contact data into the user’s account on the Poken website.

CEO Stephane Doutriaux created the device while finishing MBA school in Switzerland in 2008. Since then he’s raised $2 million, moved the company’s headquarters to Silicon Valley, signed up distributors in 25 countries and struggled to keep up with orders from places like Germany and The Netherlands that have gone gaga over the tiger, geisha, panda, alien and 20-odd other Poken characters.

In the United States, Poken was completely out of stock in late May, forcing fans like Kelly Guimont, a Portland, Ore., tech support specialist and avowed lover of all things digital, to wait until sometime in June for new shipments to arrive. “I want a Poken so bad I don't even know what to do with myself,” Guimont says. “They are so the cutest things ever.” They may be cute, but they serve a real purpose and unlike some smart phone-based business card apps, Pokens don’t need a constant 3G connection to work, Doutriaux says. On the horizon: a Poken convention badge.

DropCard

To set itself apart from other digital business-card apps, DropCard is retooling itself to appeal to salespeople and other hardcore business types -- think of it as the LinkedIn of business-card apps. According to company founder Tal Raviv, once the revamped service goes live later this month, members can log onto the DropCard website to see which parts of their profile information new contacts clicked on, data they can use to do follow up phone calls or e-mails. “We decided to sell not the technology, but the benefits,” says Raviv, who started the company in 2008 with backing from a Philadelphia incubator while an undergraduate engineering student at University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in May.

When the new DropCard comes online, three tiers of service will be available: a free, basic level for sending five DropCards a month; a $5 level for up to 25 cards, and a $10 level for unlimited service. Rather than handle marketing and sales itself, DropCard is pairing up with small businesses like print shops to act as resellers. “It adds value to the (print) business cards they provide,” Raviv says.

Bump

Until she can get her hands on a Poken, Guimont is making due with Bump, a free application on iTunes that lets two iPhone users tap or “bump” their respective mobile phone screens together to swap contact information.

Other software developers have used iPhone’s application development platform to create similar business card-like programs, including SnapDat and beamME.

EverNote

While not specifically a business card substitute, this software application for noting things you find on the Web or taking pictures of them with your mobile phone can act like one. EverNote uses optical character recognition to parse text from an image and store it so it can be retrieved at a later date.

Portland tech enthusiast Guimont uses EverNote instead of Bump to swap contact information with people she meets who don’t use an iPhone. “With EverNote on the iPhone I pick up a business card, take a picture and put it back. I can’t remember the last time I picked up and kept a business card,” she says.

CardScan

The 16-year-old company, now part of Newell-Rubbermaid, helped invent the business card reader business. Since then, CardScan’s product line has grown to encompass a variety of scanners and software applications for individuals and small businesses. One of the newest: a Mac package that includes a scanner and contact management software that debuted last fall.

Other business-card applications:

twtBizCard -- Transmits contact information via Twitter by adding the “#twtbizcard” hashtag to a standard Twitter @reply.

Contxt -- Transmits social network profiles and contact information via smart phones.

iPhone business card apps -- A list of additional business-card apps on Mashable, the social media blog.

Santa Baby, Slip These Gadgets under the Tree

Michelle V. Rafter — 2008-11-26T15:07:17-05:00

Santa baby, slip an iTouch under the tree, for me

Been an awful tough year,

Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

This holiday season, the little somethings that small business owners are asking Santa to slip under the tree include lightweight notebook computers, next-generation smart phones, HD cameras, and more.

With the economy in the doldrums, there’s not a whole lot to celebrate this year and not a whole lot of IT money left to celebrate with. But small business owners who’ve managed to squirrel away a little of their annual computing budget to spend on themselves or their employees before Dec. 31 have a sleigh full of electronic devices to choose from.

According to a very informal poll of several dozen small business owners, here are some of the most popular items on their holiday wish lists:

Little laptops

Sallie Goetsch, a podcast producer at The Podcast Asylum in California, wants a UMPC -- an ultra-mobile PC -- the latest in lightweight computing. Also known as a tablet PC, netbook or subnotebook, the devices run 13” or smaller, weigh just a couple pounds, have touch screens and/or QWERTY keyboards and come with built ins like GPS and Wi-Fi and a variety of options. Goetsch wants something to take to conferences and events and prefers a UMPC over a smart phone. “I never did learn how to type with my thumbs,” she says. “I’m trying to decide which one, the new HP? The EEE?”

Joe Pulizzi, owner of Z Squared Media, a Cleveland, Ohio, content marketing firm and founder of the Junta42 content marketing blog network, wants a mini laptop too. Pulizzi has a 17” Toshiba laptop in his home office, but it’s too big for the road. “Sometimes small is better,” he says. Pulizzi has his eyeona Toshiba Portege with a 12.1” display, built-in fingerprint reader, webcam, digital card reader, and 4 USB ports.

Smartphones

Linda Musgrove, owner of an Aventura, Fla., trade show consulting firm called Trade Show Teacher, already has a smartphone. But that hasn’t stopped her from lusting after the HTC Touch Pro, Sprint’s Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keypad, touch screen, expandable memory, 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth support. The device will do double duty, managing Musgrove’s business and “my crazy family,” she says.

Nancy White, owner of Custom Interface, a Bingen, Wash., custom electronics manufacturer, treated herself to an AT&T Tilt smartphone as an early Christmas present. It hasn’t been pure love at first sight -- “It takes three screens to get to speed dial” -- but she does love the fact that it comes loaded with Microsoft Outlook, “so the interface with my work desktop is fantastic,” she says.

Cameras and gadgets

When it comes to gadgets, former newspaper photographer Jay Bryant has a soft spot for cameras. This holiday, Bryant, now business development vice president at Live World, a San Jose, Calif., social networking company, has his eye on the Kodak Zi6 Flip Cam in HD. The palm-sized device has a 2.4” screen and weighs 3.8 ounces and has built-in USB port and editing software. “I’m going to try my hand at video blogging,” Bryant says. “And I’m going to start recording some of my presentations to review them afterward to see how I can do better,” Bryant says. Plus, at a suggested retail price of $180, “it’s cheap,” he says.

After Andre Preoteasa, IT director at Castle Brands got himself an Apple iPod Touch, he was the most popular guy at the New York City fine spirits distributor. “Everyone in the office is asking to use it. Everybody wants one,” Preoteasa says. “It’s literally a computer in your pocket, and a very posh one.” Reviewers have dubbed the second-generation iPod Touch the iPhone’s baby brother, with many of the same features -- music and video player, Safari Web browser, email, iTunes store, etc. -- minus the ability to make cell phone calls. Prices run $270 to $400 for models with 8, 16 or 32 GB flash memory.

Travis Isaacson, senior director of organizational development at Access Development, a Salt Lake City, affinity marketing business, doesn’t want anything that fancy, just an iPod Classic with 120 GB of memory instead of the old 80 GB model he has now so he can squeeze in more of the business books he downloads from Audible.com.

Nov Omana, managing principal at Collective HR Solutions, a San Mateo, Calif. HR industry consultant, doesn’t like it when people sitting next to him at Starbucks or on an airplane peek at his laptop screen. So this holiday his wish list includes a pair of MyVu Shades, eyewear that looks like regular sunglasses but blocks out whatever is showing on a laptop or iPod screen for everyone except the person wearing them. The $199 device, which comes with built-in earbuds, is primarily sold as a way to watch videos in private but Omana thinks it has big potential with business travelers. “The next generation may allow us to just ‘see’ each other in a virtual world or over the net no matter where we are,” he says.

John Klebes, business development program manager at Sig Sauer, the Exeter, N.H. gun maker, has his eye on the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, a $200 digital pen with built in microphone, speaker, display screen and tiny camera. The Smartpen can record notes in written and audio form simultaneously when used with special “digital paper” embedded with microdots. “It sounds like a very useful tool and I wouldn't turn down one for Christmas,” Klebes says.

Smartphone Power Management 101

Marc Saltzman — 2008-11-25T13:24:00-05:00

Oh, the irony: today’s smartphones are packed with exciting new features, but we’re limited on how much time we can play with them all.

Battery life has always been the bane of the smartphone’s existence, which is no surprise given their increasingly powerful processors, multiple wireless radios, and large screens.

“Battery life is a tug of war between supply and demand,” explains Ken Dulaney, vice president of mobile computing at the Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner research and consulting group. “The supply side is based on technology founded before the electronics in which they are found. We have seen some changes in chemistry that have given us some significant bumps but usually the supply side improves no more than about 10 percent per year in the best years.”

Up to now, the demand side has been where battery life has had the most action. That means “lower power chips combined with software that is more intelligent about when to be on or turn off," says Dulaney. "It is the demand side where most of the progress will occur in battery life.”

Sure, some smartphones (and for that matter, operating systems) handle power management better than others, but regardless of the handset you decide to go with for your business, take heed to these following general tips to extend battery life between charges.

Turn off features

“Power management is an issue with smartphones primarily because of so many features, radios, applications and advance processors,” says Nathan Dyer, senior analyst for enterprise mobility at Yankee Group, a Boston, Mass.-based research firm. “All of this puts a strain on resources, but a lot of this functionality doesn’t have to be used all the time.”

In other words, turn on only the applications you need. “User management will go a long way to save battery resources, with GPS and Wi-Fi being good examples,” explains Dyer. “A lot of people have Google Maps running when not using it, for instance, which can drain resources at a drastic rate.”

Speaking of wireless technologies, the iPhone 3G alone houses 10 different radios under the hood: GSM/EDGE (3 bands), 3G/HSPA (4 bands), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

Dim it down

“Another tip is to reduce the brightness settings of screen,” suggests Dyer. This feature is usually found in the Options or Settings menu of the smartphone. A dimmer screen will be less taxing on the smartphone’s battery compared to a bright one (ditto for your laptop, too, by the way).

Some devices, such as the Blackberry, automatically adjust screen brightness depending on the environment it’s in. A sensor that detects bright sunlight will turn off brightness altogether, while the opposite is true in a pitch-black room. The Apple iPhone, on the other hand, turns off its screen when its internal sensor detects the smartphone is held up against a user’s ear, therefore not required at that particular moment.

“It’s great some smartphones handle these tasks for you,” says Dyer, “but it’s usually up to the user to be proactive about this.”

Bring an adaptor or spare

Road warriors who spend a lot of time out of the office might want to pick up a spare battery and keep a charged one in a laptop bag, suitcase, or glove compartment. Avoid leaving your spare battery in the car on extremely hot or cold days because temperature can affect the battery’s performance and longevity.

A car charger for your smartphone is also a good idea for those who spend a lot of time behind the wheel, especially as they might use a Bluetooth headset or speakerphone/GPS, which could drain the smartphone’s battery faster.

The Business Case for the iPhone 3G

Marc Saltzman — 2008-07-28T16:46:33-05:00

A few months ago, IncTechnology assessed the worth of the Apple iPhone for business purposes, but the newer iPhone 3G -- which launched with much fanfare on July 11 -- introduced more than 100 new features not found in its predecessor. This includes “3G” wireless connectivity, therefore users no longer need to find a Wi-Fi hotspot to access applications or download files at high-speeds.

But do these additions and improvements make it easier to justify buying an iPhone for work? Here's what the experts say:

Faster, more secure e-mail

Those who need access to secure corporate e-mail while on the go were happy to hear Apple’s Steve Jobs announce Microsoft Exchange server support for the iPhone and 3G connectivity, allowing users to access data at higher speeds when not in a wireless hotspot. While this is true, it seems the smartphone is still missing some security features which might not sit well with your IT department.

“Apple delivered on Exchange functionality, yes, but the iPhone is still missing one security policy available in Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices,” cautions Ken Delaney, vice president of mobile computing at the Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner research and consulting group. “While the new iPhone supports the ability to remote ‘wipe’ a device if lost or stolen but doesn’t force the use a complex password, which some potential customers might take issue with.”

GPS

The addition of GPS support in the iPhone is handy for when traveling to a client’s office or finding a nearby restaurant based on your location.

“If you’re a mobile professional who travels three or four days a week, an iPhone might make sense for email, browsing and multimedia -- and now, GPS for local search and directions,” says Nathan Dyer, senior analyst for enterprise mobility at the Boston, Mass.-based Yankee Group.

“GPS capabilities might not be provisioned by IT but can be very useful to those who spend a lot of time on the road,” Dyer adds.

Keyboard

The “soft” on-screen keyboard might still be an issue for those used to button-based QWERTY keyboards found on most BlackBerry or Windows Mobile devices, but in the end it boils down to personal preference, says Dyer.

“Yes, the [iPhone] keyboard takes time to get used to, but if you talk to users they’ll generally adapt their typing style to the touch keyboard,” explains Dyer. “It’s not for everyone -- some will struggle while others will adapt after a grinding out the steep learning curve.”

Delaney says to buy a device that matches your needs, and says to think of it this way: A BlackBerry Pearl with its compressed SureType keyboard and small screen would be ideal for voice first, e-mail second, and browsing third. A BlackBerry Curve’s QWERTY keyboard, on the other hand, means the user priorities would be e-mail first, voice second, and browsing third. An iPhone’s huge screen and button-less keyboard suggests browsing first, e-mail second, and voice third.

“The iPhone’s onscreen keyboard makes it difficult to type without making mistakes -- it’s not a fault, per se -- but just be aware there are tradeoffs with the smartphone you choose” says Delaney.

Mobile Me

Mobile Me is a new pay-for-use service designed to keep your computer (Windows or Mac) and iPhone or iPod touch all in sync when it comes to e-mail, contacts, and calendar entries.

Dyer says Mobile Me seems to be geared more to consumers than the small or mid-sized business crowd, but he can see this “as a useful application for those who juggle their professional life, from 9 to 5, and personal life, from 6 to whenever, help make life easier with wireless synchronization of contacts and appointments.”

Cost still an issue

Delaney says even with these new business-like features -- including 3G speeds, support for Microsoft Exchange, GPS, Mobile Me and the App Store -- many will find the high price for the iPhone a tough sell at the office.

“Considering you can get a BlackBerry for about $79 these days, it’s hard to justify an iPhone for business,” says Delaney. “As a result, some bosses are saying ‘if you want to use an iPhone for work, go ahead, but you’ll have to buy it yourself.'”

BlackBerry Etiquette: The Do's and Don'ts

Marc Saltzman — 2008-05-26T09:48:28-05:00

More often than not a mobile executive would agree the BlackBerry is both a blessing and a curse: while it can liberate you from the office by allowing you to keep in touch via e-mail or voice, virtually anywhere, it can ironically have the opposite effect by tethering to the office well past 5 p.m. (and on weekends and holidays, too).

It could be argued it’s too late to go back to the pre-24/7 work culture. So perhaps we need to find a way to best integrate our smartphones into our daily lives -- without keeping our face buried in it when in public.

So we thought it would be fun to chat with tech experts about what is socially acceptable when it comes to e-mail and messaging on smartphones. Interestingly, we found conflicting opinions.

E-mail etiquette

When is it appropriate to pull out a BlackBerry, iPhone, or other smartphone and start tapping away as if you were alone?

“Five years ago there weren’t too many of these e-mail devices, so someone might have been disturbed about you picking up e-mail, say, during a lunch meeting -- but not today when these things are commonplace,” says Brian Kotlyar, an analyst for the Boston, Mass.-based Yankee Group. “Today we may notice, but we don’t mind much, and in five years we might not even notice at all.”

Michelle Warren, however, disagrees. The senior analyst at Info-Tech Research Group, a London, Ontario-based research firm, believes “it is rude to disrupt a face-to-face meeting to check for messages.” “This activity gives the impression that the person in front of you is insignificant, which is not a career-enhancing tactic.”

Phone etiquette

If shutting down the phone for the meeting is out of the question, she adds, then set it to “quiet” and proceed with your meeting. “Once you are finished, then check for messages and missed calls,” says Warren.

Kotlyar agrees employees of small or mid-sized businesses must remember they’re in a professional setting. “Your phone needs to be on vibrate or at least be conscious of the fact your loud ‘50 Cent’ ringtone might not be appropriate,” says Kotlyar, with a laugh. “Ringtones give off a persona, so be aware of where you are and what’s ideal for that setting.”

Warren acknowledges there are often exceptions, such as times when you need to answer the phone. The trick is to handle yourself professionally. “If you are waiting for an important call, mention it at the forefront of the meeting.” “When the phone vibrates -- as the ringer will be shut off -- exit the room, quietly, and take the call outside,” suggests Warren.

“Don’t answer more than one call -- if you are urgently needed elsewhere, politely excuse yourself from the meeting,” adds Warren, who also shares this last piece of advice: “Don’t wear your earpiece while in a meeting -- lunch or otherwise. Ever.”

Super software, too

Kotlyar suggests executives should subscribe to SpinVox, a handy mobile phone service that transcribes voicemail messages into text messages for you. Therefore, when someone important calls and you can't answer, perhaps because you’re in a meeting, you'll know right away what the call is about. An accurate transcript of the voicemail message is sent to your mobile phone automatically so you can simply read the message, no matter where you are.

With SpinVox, you can discretely glance at a text message which has the content of the voicemail message on your phone. If you need to jump into action -- you can forward the text message on.

SpinVox also includes the number of the caller, so as long as it was sent from a mobile phone you can press a button to text a note back immediately. Another scenario might be a noisy restaurant, where it's easier to read a message rather than listen to one.

Will the iPhone Fly as a Business Tool?

Marc Saltzman — 2008-04-25T13:28:51-05:00

Gadget geeks will forever remember June 29, 2007, as the date Apple unleashed its much-hyped iPhone, a digital Swiss Army Knife that fused a handful of features -- mobile phone, camera, media player and Wi-Fi-enabled Web device -- with a graceful touch-based navigation interface.

It became a sought-after consumer sensation, and remains as one to this day, but it seems Apple and third parties are trying to find a way the iPhone could also double as a clever business tool.

But is there room for the iPhone in a world dominated by powerful smartphones with cutting-edge e-mail delivery, such as the BlackBerry? We spoke with analysts on whether or not it’s possible.

Nathan Dyer, senior analyst for enterprise mobility at the Boston, Mass.-based Yankee Group, believes it can happen, and transforming this consumer product into a business tool will likely come from Apple opening up the platform to software developers. “The ‘holy grail’ in the mobility space for businesses is maximizing productivity and effectiveness of its workers, regardless of their location,” says Dyer. “Mobile workers need access to the same applications and corporate data that they have in the office -- and it's these third-party software vendors that will provide the infrastructure hooks to make the iPhone ‘business class’.”

In March 2008, for example, Microsoft officially announced it was offering built-in support for Exchange, it's messaging and collaboration platform, on the iPhone.

“This is significant,” believes Chris Hazelton, senior analyst, mobile device technology and trends at IDC, a Framingham, Mass.-based technology research firm. “With Exchange ActiveSync on the iPhone, mobile businesspersons can connect to a company’s Exchange server behind a firewall.”

Hazelton says Microsoft is also considering building Excel, Word, and PowerPoint accessibility into the device, which also means those receiving corporate e-mail on the iPhone can view and edit Microsoft Office attachments.

Pro: Intuitive design and functionality

When asked what might help the iPhone’s chances of catching on as a business device, Dyer says the device is extremely powerful and intuitive to use. “It takes complicated functionality, such as Wi-Fi integration and embedded Web searching, and makes it intuitive to the user.” Dyer adds, “The Safari Web browser on the iPhone has enormous potential to shift how workers access and generate content.”

Hazelton says the iPhone's popularity makes it an attractive alternative to other smartphones: “When I look at the history of the BlackBerry, it was a sign of prestige that you were important enough for the company to give you email anywhere you need it,” says Hazelton, “and now the BlackBerry is a standard for mobile workers.” But maybe it's time for BlackBerry to move over, because there's a new status-symbol for business users. “Now the iPhone has that air of elitism and prestige -- executives want the iPhone in their world -- so IT departments believe they have to account for that,” says Hazelton.

The iPhone’s extras, such as a camera and music playback, also make it an appealing phone, says Hazelton. “You’ve got this willingness to carry device with you -- you can load it up with music, movies, photos, and podcasts, which can make a long flight for an executive a better one.” He adds that the HTML browser is perfect whether you’re checking inventory or sports scores.

Con: Lacks a compelling productivity story for IT

Despite its growing popularity, Apple doesn't have very much brand recognition -- especially among IT departments -- argues Dyer. “That, and the iPhone lacks a compelling productivity story to justify investment at this point.”

One common issue, for some, is the “soft” keyboard, opposed to the BlackBerry or Treo with its button-based QWERTY keyboard (note: some BlackBerrys offer a condensed “SureType” keyboard). “The messaging interface [on the iPhone] is very cumbersome and takes some time getting used to,” says Dyer.

But Hazelton says the keyboard isn’t an issue for everyone. “Yes, with the iPhone you actually need to look at the keyboard because there is no tactile feedback, it’s a different type of experience, but I can’t say one type of keyboard takes longer to type an e-mail than the other.” Hazelton says not many iPhone users know you can drag your thumbs across the soft keyboard and lift up when you get the desired letter. “If you can master this, you can text as fast as any BlackBerry.”

Finally, security is an issue for all mobile devices, claim Dyer and Hazelton. The iPhone is no exception, especially as it has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. Hazelton, however, says the next-generation iPhone software should support Cisco Virtual Private Network (VPN) and other security measures to help protect company data.

Ear Peace: How to Pick a Bluetooth Headset

Marc Saltzman — 2008-04-25T13:18:56-05:00

It’s a more comfortable and convenient way to place and receive calls on your cell phone -- and it might be law depending on which state you’re driving in -- but a Bluetooth wireless headset has become an indispensable mobile business accessory in today’s day and age.

Another reason Bluetooth connectivity has caught on is because most cell phones now have built-in support for the wireless protocol, says Avi Greengart, research director for mobile devices at Current Analysis, a Sterling, Va.-based research firm. “This is an important trend, especially for safety reasons, as you don’t want to get a cord tangled up on something, like a gear shift or seatbelt,” explains Greengart.

But with hundreds of headsets to choose from -- ranging in price from $20 to $250 -- it can be difficult to pick one that’s ideal for you and your business. The following are a few variables to consider:

Comfort

The most important consideration is comfort, says Greengart, “because if it’s not comfortable, you’re not going to wear it, and then the other features become meaningless.”

Solomon Daniels, editor for Mobile Electronics, a trade publication designed to educate and inform specialists in the mobile electronics industry, says he has the same priority as Greengart. “Comfort and weight comfort are extremely important because you have to wear this thing on or in your ear,” Daniels says. “Therefore you need to try it out for a bit to see what shape and style works for you.”

Sometimes you don’t think about things like how a Bluetooth headset can be fitted for someone who wears glasses, for example, but it can be an issue. Daniels says a few models now have a piece that clips onto the glasses for added comfort.

Quality

The second consideration would be the quality of the audio, believes Greengart. “Features like noise reduction are very important,” but can add to the overall cost to the device.

“But it’s well worth it,” adds Greengart, who says products like the popular Jawbone headset from Alliph do a great job in reducing the amount of background noise for the caller.

On a related note, Daniel says you might find there’s a tradeoff in quality for style: “Headsets with microphones that go across the cheek might not look great -- and let’s face it, everyone who wears one still looks like a robot -- but these tend to sound better than in-ear ones.”

Batterylife

When it comes to power, both Greengart and Daniels maintain today’s wireless Bluetooth headsets should last at least as long as the phone’s battery.

“Some headsets have screens and all kinds of buttons, but the more high-tech stuff you add to it, the more the battery is robbed of power,” says Daniels. “We’re talking a very small device with a very small battery.”

“I tend to take advertised ‘talk times’ with a grain of salt, but if you’re a road warrior, battery life is very important,” agrees Greengart. In addition, he says you should also consider the type of battery charger the device requires. “If it uses a standard connection like mini-USB then you can use an existing cable you might have in your laptop bag to charge it up, otherwise you’ll need to bring an additional charger with you on the road,” Greengart says.

Convenience

Another feature that may be important to a Bluetooth headset shopper is if you can pair it with more than one phone. This is handy if you have multiple phones or if you pass the headset around to members of the family.

Mobile executives who like to keep entertained with music while on the go might want a stereo Bluetooth headset that can be used with compatible phones. “If your handset has A2DP, you might want to get wireless headphones that also function as a hands-free headset, too,” says Greengart.

“The bottom line is that you need to see what works for you,” says Daniels. “Check with the store’s [return] policy and take out a Bluetooth headset for a couple of days to see if you like it.”

Touch Screen Takes over the Cell Phone

Marc Saltzman — 2008-03-03T16:54:51-05:00

Just because a form factor is trendy doesn’t mean that it’s right for your business.

Naturally, we’re referring to touch-based mobile phones, today’s fashionable way to interface with your digital life while on the go. Thanks to the iPhone, and now a slew of other handsets, finger-swiping is in and buttons are out.

You know the drill: you can use your fingertip to navigate through all your phone’s content, be it flicking your way through e-mails in your inbox, documents, or calendar entries or using gestures such as a tap to zoom in on a website or drawing a half-circle to rotate photos.

“This is where everything is going,” says Erez Zevulunov, director of MIT Consulting, a Toronto-based technology solutions firm. “Star Trek is here -- keyboards have been replaced with your finger and for good reason: touch phones are easy to learn, easy to navigate, and they offer a richer graphical experience.”

Nathan Dyer, senior analyst for enterprise mobility at the Yankee Group, a Boston, Mass.-headquartered research firm, says “touch”-based handsets, such as the iPhone, have done a great job at reducing user frustration. “Mobile devices are being crammed with so many features that it's difficult as a user to navigate and find what you're looking for. The iPhone has done a phenomenal job using touch-based screens to remove this user frustration,” Dyer says.

“What used to take four awkward clicks on a keypad to access the calendar application can now be done with one or two ‘touches,’” Dyer adds. “People generally have short attention spans, so it's critical for device manufacturers to maximize the navigation speeds.”

Existing and future challenges

A “soft” keyboard, however, isn’t ideal for every situation, such as for those who need to type a lengthy e-mail message.

“Touch screens are not perfect,” says Dyer. “As we see with the iPhone, typing on a virtual keyboard is rather cumbersome and takes a while to get used to, [therefore] the iPhone isn't designed for heavy e-mail composers.” Some users claim they don’t like the lack of tactile feedback when pressing the on-screen keys, although some handsets, such as the LG Voyager, offer a small vibration sensation when the “soft” keys are pressed to confirm the button press was registered.

“Power users still want a button-based QWERTY keyboard, as with most BlackBerrys, but for everyone else it’s easy to see why ‘touch’ is the next big thing,” concludes Zevulunov.

SIDEBAR: Touch me, hold me

Here’s a quick look at a few new non-iPhone touch-based phones.

The LG Voyager smartphone features a high-resolution touch-screen on its surface, but if you prefer to type a lengthy e-mail or instant message with real buttons the handset opens up like a book to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard (and second screen) inside. Pull out the tiny antenna to watch live TV, or download music, video or podcasts.
The new HTC Touch Cruise builds upon its popular predecessors by offering a high-quality 2.8-inch LCD screen and 3-D interface (called TouchFLO) to give you one-touch access to all your communication, entertainment and information. Powered by Windows Mobile 6 professional, the Cruise also includes integrated HSDPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3-megapixel camera and FM radio.
The Neonode N2 is a little-known, gesture-based smartphone that’s considerably smaller than the others at just 3-inches tall (and sporting a 2-inch screen), which can easily be toted to and from meetings. But this sleek black smartphone also offers a few impressive consumer features, such as the ability to record Internet radio streams (stored on expandable MiniSD memory up to 32GB), 2-megapixel still camera (with video recording functionality), and stereo Bluetooth.

Tech Designs that Aren't Business Friendly

Renee Oricchio — 2008-02-29T10:12:40-05:00

Since the new iMacs rolled out a few months ago, one of its continued best sales hooks is its picture on the Apple web ite. It’s a very prominent picture shown in profile.

With that picture came the latest hot trend in desktops; thin is in! In the months since, PC makers including Dell and Gateway, have been falling over themselves rushing out their own supermodel thin all-in-one desktops. Who could resist? They’re beautiful, sleek, light weight, and just plain cool.

“They’re also really expensive. They’re so beautiful. But, I can’t see them spread across a business. They look too easy to topple over” says Michelle Warren, a senior research analyst from the Info-Tech Research Group.

From desktops to handhelds, technology products are increasingly marketed more for their style than substance as users have changed their perceptions of devices from tools to vanity items. It’s an easy trap for even the most fiscally conscious executives to fall into these days.

“For us, our technology choices are always about functionality and benefit. I say that and I’m talking on an iPhone, which I don’t see any justification for using,” says Reuben Swartz, president of Mimiran, an Austin, Texas-based pricing analytics software company.

Given that Swartz’s business is based on promoting fiscal efficiency, he admits that he can’t afford technology choices that look too slick for fear it will contradict his company’s image. “We don’t want to look like we’re spending a lot of money on eye candy,” says Swartz.

Warren, who watches trends in the cosmetic designs of technology, would be one of the first to encourage business owners to not bow to the bling and at the same time advises that some of the latest fashions in high tech are actually good for business. Here’s some advice products with sleek tech designs that could help – or ultimately hamper -- your ability to do business.

Bad for business

Mobile Devices. “Qwerty keypads take too much time to press those buttons. Handhelds that come with a stylus and accessories like Bluetooth are easy to lose. Avoid things with too many moving parts, like the new Samsung phones that involve two flips, instead of one,” says Warren. Other features to avoid, unless it has an obvious benefit to the users work: cameras and music. It’s just one more thing that can break and be abused by the employee.
Desktops and notebooks. “We’re seeing more notebooks coming in colors like red and pink. It helps express individuality. But in a corporate setting, stick with black. It’s more professional,” says Warren. As for those desktop towers, keep them under the desk and out of sight. Newer features coming to market include Blu-ray DVD drives. You can’t beat the razor crisp graphics, but they require a lot of extra computing power to run and can cut battery time down to as little as an hour.
Conference room equipment. This is often customer-facing technology, and therefore, cosmetics count. That being said, given a choice, choose functionality. Clients will forgive an unsightly box shuttling back and forth across a long table, but don’t expect the same amount of patience with poor quality microphones, speakers or hard to manage connections.
Wires. If it’s customer-facing technology, go wireless if possible. “Wires are ugly, not cool and very last century,” says Warren.

Good for business

Mobile Devices. Warren points out that small to mid-sized businesses have the advantage of letting their employees pick their own devices and what works best depends on what the user wants. That being said, she puts in a word for BlackBerry. “There’s something about that keypad. It has a very low training rate. People pick it up very fast,” says Warren.
Desktops and notebooks. Trendy options like the new MacBook Air notebook or any of those all-in-one desktops make no sense out in the cubicles. However, spending the extra money for those customer-facing positions like the front desk or the consultant who needs a little extra style on sales calls may be worth it.
Lighter weight technology, lighter weight accessories. The good news about smaller mobile devices and thinner notebooks is that briefcases have significantly lightened up in recent years. Five years ago, it was not uncommon to see the average road warrior trudging through airports with a 20 pound bag draped over the shoulder and a cell phone stuffed in a side pocket. Bags are increasingly smaller and down to a few pounds allowing them to be made with lighter materials like canvas. The trend to travel light has also inspired executives to lug around less paper and store more of their files on the computer.

Future trends

Touch screens are getting a lot of attention these days, but Warren warns it’s not a mature technology yet. It will be some day, probably sooner than later. Also watch for bigger screens on mobile devices.

Business Uses for Cell Phones You Didn’t Know

Marc Saltzman — 2008-02-27T11:54:01-05:00

If you’re only using your mobile phone to place calls, check e-mail or surf the Web, you’re not taking advantage of all it can do for you and your growing business.

Yep, just as it’s estimated we only use about 10 percent of our brains, you’re probably overlooking many -- if not most -- of your phone’s handy hidden features.

Here we explore a few business-related uses of your cell phone that you might not know about, or use.

Tethered modem

Can’t find a coffee shop to log online with your laptop while on the road? Rather than using Wi-Fi, many people are connecting their phone to their notebook computer to use it as a modem -- even while in the back of a taxi.

“Most newer phones offer this feature -- connecting it to your laptop with USB or Bluetooth so you can log online -- but not many people are doing it yet,” says Erez Zevulunov, director of MIT Consulting, a Toronto-based technology solutions firm. “And now with cell phone bandwidth rivaling broadband modems, such as with 3G phones, speed isn’t an issue anymore.”

Be sure to check with your carrier first to make sure your data plan covers this feature, and find out what the roaming charges are when out of town.

Backup data

Speaking of connecting your phone to a computer, you can carry around many if not all of your contacts and calendar appointments with you -- software is often provided by the phone manufacturer. Furthermore, it’s also a convenient way of protecting your PC files in case something happens to the machine, such as damage caused by fire, flood, theft, virus, or power surge.

Many phones today also offer expandable memory, such as a 2GB MicroSD card, which is enough to store thousands of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Make sure, however, to compress all of these files into a password-protected .zip or .rar file -- just in case you lose your phone.

“Productivity features usually depend on how ‘smart’ the phone is, such as those with an open operating system, but many basic, conventional phones have data back-up services to protect against information loss,” says Nathan Dyer, senior analyst for enterprise mobility at the Boston, Mass.-based Yankee Group.

Memo taking

Many entrepreneurs and small and mid-sized business owners come up with a great idea while on the go, but don’t have a quick way to document it before the epiphany is lost. Guess what -- your phone likely has recording functionality buried in one of those option menus.

“I know lawyers who have stand-alone digital recorders and I ask them ‘why bother?’” says Zevulunov. “You can easily dictate for an hour or more, especially with expandable memory cards, which you can then download to your PC to archive.”

Mobile phones are also ideal for recording boardroom meetings and important conversations.

Also consider the free Jott voice memo service. When you’re out and about and need to send a message to someone (or “jott” a note to yourself), simply call a toll-free number, say your message clearly, and your speech will be converted into text and then e-mailed and text-messaged to the recipient.

GPS navigation

“More and more phones have embedded GPS capabilities that are extremely useful for turn-by-turn directions and locating addresses,” says Dyer. As an example of the latter, if the important client you’re taking out for lunch has a yen for Japanese food, you can quickly find the nearest one with a couple of button presses.

In fact, cell phones with integrated GPS will likely be as common as a built-in camera. Increasingly popular services include TeleNav, which costs about $10 a month, and don’t forget phones like the iPhone offer Google Maps with satellite imagery.

“Even if your phone doesn’t have built-in GPS it probably has Bluetooth so you can pick up an inexpensive receiver to keep on your dashboard,” says Zevulunov.